Kylieeastley
New member
Thank you in advance, it is such a privilege to be able to come to a forum such as this and expect people who do not know me, and will likely get nothing in return, to help 
Likely some of the issues I have to date are no longer impacting, but will post all in case, I have read many many other threads, so will try to give all the dets I think are required.
Purchased brand new (so no previous things growing in) mini reef 90, came with sump, skimmer and all the hardware in October 2015.
Approx 2 inches sand at the bottom.
We live in a rural area - rain water, at the time, we had water from the creek in the tanks. - a white coating over glass when water was added made me suspicious of calcium in the water. - testing confirmed this.
We then used straight rain water (stored in a different tank)
Approx 4kg of live rock was added approx a week later - but didn't seem to be an issue.
The tank had cycled the water, and the located pet store suggested the levels were fine to add some stock.
Added a snail that mostly lives under the sand, a couple other snails and couple of hermit crabs early December 2016
A week later the two snails had died. I did a major water change Using water from a different tank, 3 changes of approx 25 litres over a week, and the levels all looked good, and so I added two seahors s, and a couple more snails.
The two seahorses did excellent (one was pregnant, gave birth, and then had more babies early January). After some Medium high nitrate tests, testing of the straight water showed high Amonia in the rain water. - in fact higher then in the tank. A few water changes with town water (collected from a relatives house) amd assuming the uissue was fixed, I then added a couple of shrimps.
The shrimps died within about a week.
Ok, so invertebrates not liking the higher nitrate levels, and continuing weekly water changes of 25 litres, I added, in later December, a spotted mandarin, two yellow fish (gobies?). We lost one yellow fish after a fe days. The other continues to do well, though has gone a bit orange?
The mandarins sadly dissapeared, to show up later on the ground behind the tank (there is a app on 3cm gap at the end of the lid). Realising that at the change of tank water to town water, I had forgotten that the water would need treating, I rushed into pet shop and purchased water conditioner, treated the water, and a week later purchased two more snails and two more seahorses (mid January) have continued to treat new water, and have treated existing water couple times.
Second lot of seahorse, one was pregnant, and so I have also been keeping tubed hatching brine shrimp and seahorse nursery in the tank for past couple weeks (and for short time after the first hatch).
There is currently a lot of excess from baby seahorse nursery going out (have been lots die, lots excess shrimp going out etc) currently 6 baby seahorses two weeks old, and all 4 adult seahorses doing excellent, yellow fish doing excellent, what I call the racing snail (under sand snail) continues to do well.
Also at the time of last seahorses, I added some plant, and two more snails, snails died within days, and the plant appears to be dying off.
Also massive algae bloom. That I assume is related to all the excess food from baby seahorses.
Ammonia, ph, and nitrite levels all good, recent nitrate at least 40, maybe closer to 80, prior to that would be regularly 20
The early dates and order of things may not be exact, but I do recall issues despite the normal tests all being Om (nitrates about 20 just before water changes), and there was some suggestion of there being other issues with the water, perhaps chemicals etc, this was prior to changing to town water.
Since changing to town water, and treating, I have done about 4 x 25 litre water changes, yet can not keep snails alive, and now the plants are dying, yet I did read plants help keep nitrates down.
So, my question is, what would be the best way to manage the nitrates while I have the baby seahorses in as well - so there will continue to be excess food through the system
Is it likely the nitates are to blame for most of the above issues?
And are the rest of my assumptions correct (ie algae being due to high nitrates, plant dying etc)
And as the seahorses seem to be thriving (it looks like both males have growing pouches again) - is it as mug an issue as I think - maybe I should not worry about keeping shrimps and snails as well?
Thank you
Likely some of the issues I have to date are no longer impacting, but will post all in case, I have read many many other threads, so will try to give all the dets I think are required.
Purchased brand new (so no previous things growing in) mini reef 90, came with sump, skimmer and all the hardware in October 2015.
Approx 2 inches sand at the bottom.
We live in a rural area - rain water, at the time, we had water from the creek in the tanks. - a white coating over glass when water was added made me suspicious of calcium in the water. - testing confirmed this.
We then used straight rain water (stored in a different tank)
Approx 4kg of live rock was added approx a week later - but didn't seem to be an issue.
The tank had cycled the water, and the located pet store suggested the levels were fine to add some stock.
Added a snail that mostly lives under the sand, a couple other snails and couple of hermit crabs early December 2016
A week later the two snails had died. I did a major water change Using water from a different tank, 3 changes of approx 25 litres over a week, and the levels all looked good, and so I added two seahors s, and a couple more snails.
The two seahorses did excellent (one was pregnant, gave birth, and then had more babies early January). After some Medium high nitrate tests, testing of the straight water showed high Amonia in the rain water. - in fact higher then in the tank. A few water changes with town water (collected from a relatives house) amd assuming the uissue was fixed, I then added a couple of shrimps.
The shrimps died within about a week.
Ok, so invertebrates not liking the higher nitrate levels, and continuing weekly water changes of 25 litres, I added, in later December, a spotted mandarin, two yellow fish (gobies?). We lost one yellow fish after a fe days. The other continues to do well, though has gone a bit orange?
The mandarins sadly dissapeared, to show up later on the ground behind the tank (there is a app on 3cm gap at the end of the lid). Realising that at the change of tank water to town water, I had forgotten that the water would need treating, I rushed into pet shop and purchased water conditioner, treated the water, and a week later purchased two more snails and two more seahorses (mid January) have continued to treat new water, and have treated existing water couple times.
Second lot of seahorse, one was pregnant, and so I have also been keeping tubed hatching brine shrimp and seahorse nursery in the tank for past couple weeks (and for short time after the first hatch).
There is currently a lot of excess from baby seahorse nursery going out (have been lots die, lots excess shrimp going out etc) currently 6 baby seahorses two weeks old, and all 4 adult seahorses doing excellent, yellow fish doing excellent, what I call the racing snail (under sand snail) continues to do well.
Also at the time of last seahorses, I added some plant, and two more snails, snails died within days, and the plant appears to be dying off.
Also massive algae bloom. That I assume is related to all the excess food from baby seahorses.
Ammonia, ph, and nitrite levels all good, recent nitrate at least 40, maybe closer to 80, prior to that would be regularly 20
The early dates and order of things may not be exact, but I do recall issues despite the normal tests all being Om (nitrates about 20 just before water changes), and there was some suggestion of there being other issues with the water, perhaps chemicals etc, this was prior to changing to town water.
Since changing to town water, and treating, I have done about 4 x 25 litre water changes, yet can not keep snails alive, and now the plants are dying, yet I did read plants help keep nitrates down.
So, my question is, what would be the best way to manage the nitrates while I have the baby seahorses in as well - so there will continue to be excess food through the system
Is it likely the nitates are to blame for most of the above issues?
And are the rest of my assumptions correct (ie algae being due to high nitrates, plant dying etc)
And as the seahorses seem to be thriving (it looks like both males have growing pouches again) - is it as mug an issue as I think - maybe I should not worry about keeping shrimps and snails as well?
Thank you
